Secondary school attendance appears to be plunging in England after a surge in children being potentially exposed to Covid-19.
Some 55% of state-funded secondaries had “one or more” children at home on October 22 “due to potential contact with a case of coronavirus inside the school” - up from 46% the week before.
And overall, 16 to 18% of state schools had 30 or more pupils self-isolating on October 22 - up from 11 to 13% the week before.
The surge in the figures appears to have fuelled a sharp dip in school attendance, particularly for teenagers.
State-funded secondary school attendance hit just 82% last week, down from 86% the week before and 87% the week before that.
Primary schools fared better with attendance of 90%, down from 92% the week before.
The Department for Education insisted the two weeks could not be compared directly because some schools were on half-term last week.
But the official figures for October 22 exclude any schools on half-term or with inset days, and still include 92% of state-funded schools.
The government’s experts also suggested Covid-related absence had seen a national rise “unrelated to half term”.
Across state schools in England, analysis suggested “Covid-related” absences rose to 6-7% from 4-5% the week before.
The figures come amid a surge in coronavirus cases in England, with more areas discussing entering a Tier 3 lockdown.
“The increase in COVID-related absence accounts for most (approximately two-thirds) of the overall increase in absence between 15 and 22 October,” officials added.
Overall, 26% of state schools had one or more pupils self-isolating due to potential contact in the school - 55% of secondaries and 20% of primaries.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: "This analysis paints a grim picture of the increasingly challenging situation facing schools with attendance falling amidst rising Covid infection rates.
"In this turbulent context, it is crucial that schools are able to provide disadvantaged pupils with laptops so they can work from home if they have to self-isolate and do not have access to these devices.
"However, it is very clear that the government has completely underestimated the number of laptops that are needed."
Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "We need to be confident that the testing system is up to scratch, so that pupils without Covid can return to school rapidly and miss as little of their education as possible."
Officials said data on individual pupils is now more comprehensive than before, suggesting better records could account for the higher rate.
The government insisted the “vast majority” of the schools affected remain open to most pupils.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Over 99% of schools have been open every week since term began and millions of pupils were attending last week, benefitting from time with their friends and teachers.
“As we would expect, some pupils are self-isolating in line with public health advice, but the average size of those groups is relatively small compared to the total number of pupils on roll.
“Remote education should be provided from the first full school day that a child has to remain at home to ensure they do not fall behind.”
